


Books

by Vampiricalthorns



Series: RoyEd-Free-For-All fics o' mine [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Libraries, M/M, RoyEd-Free-For-All Daily Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-03-01 01:21:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18790150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vampiricalthorns/pseuds/Vampiricalthorns
Summary: Roy finds Ed curled up in a chair in Central Library, fast asleep with a book open in his lap.It’s concerning that it’s the third time now in less than two weeks that he’s found Edward asleep here.





	Books

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the RoyEd-Free-For-All discord server's daily challenge with the prompt "Library"
> 
> It's not looked through at all, and to be quite frank, I can't stand this drabble. Take it anyways.

Roy finds Ed curled up in a chair in Central Library, fast asleep with a book open in his lap. Usually, Roy would have removed the book and gently awoken him to tell him that the library’s closing time was inching ever closer and that it was time for Ed to join his brother at home.

Today, however, with the position and _oh so adorable_ sleeping expression, Roy can’t help but pull out his phone to snap a picture of Ed. He sends it to Al with the caption _I have found your brother and will bring him home shortly_.

It’s concerning that it’s the third time in less than two weeks that he’s found Edward asleep. He’s an overworked university student and a TA who works two part-time jobs on the side to keep up with rent, his and Alphonse’s school fees and other outgoing costs.

His phone buzzes with an incoming text message from Alphonse.

> **_From: Alphonse, 6:29 pm_ **
> 
> _I’ll prepare some dinner. You’re welcome to eat with us if you’d like._

Before Roy has the time to put his phone away, another one appears.

> **_From: Alphonse, 6:29 pm_ **
> 
> _Would you mind making Ed pop into a store? We’ve run out of both sugar and flour. I’ll send him a list of some other things too so he’s bound to see it. Please do remind him, though._

Roy sends a couple of thumbs up emojis, because, yes, that’s now an appropriate way to answer somebody’s grammatically correct, polite text message. He stuffs his phone into his back pocket and _thinks_.

The next order of business is waking Ed up without starting a world war, which sounds as ominous as it actually is. Considering that Ed’s a biochem student, anything is within the realm of possibility. Roy leans forward and gently shakes Ed’s shoulder.

Ed cracks open one eye ( _world war avoided_ ) and Roy smiles. “It’s time to go home, love. It’s almost closing time and Alphonse is making dinner.”

Ed yawns, and oh god he’s the cutest thing Roy’s laid eyes on. Not that he’ll ever _mention_ that, of course. Getting an automail fist in his face isn’t on his to-do list.

“Come on. Alphonse needs you to buy a couple of things. He said he’d text you a list, but if he hasn’t, I have some of the items on my phone.”

Ed sighs, closes the book and stands. The book goes on the chair and Ed stretches until Roy can hear the alarming cracks in his back. The thought that of Ed being due for another therapy appointment with that back appears at the front of his mind, but Roy decides to file it away for later.

“Is there time to pick up a couple books before we leave? I have an essay I need to write, but I need more source material,” Ed says. He still doesn’t look completely awake, and Roy wants to reach out to hold him.

He glanced at his watch; it’s twenty-five minutes until closing time. If they work together, depending on the number of books, it would just work out. “How many books are we talking, Edward? Do you know where they’re placed? We should be able to borrow some of them if there are any available copies.”

Ed stuffs his notebook into his back and slings it over one shoulder. “I need like … three. They should be somewhere in this section.”

He pulls up a list on his phone and Roy peers at it, cursing himself for not having his glasses readily available. He recognises one of the titles. “I’ll go looking for the top one. I know where it was placed when I needed it two years ago, and I doubt the library has done any major reorganisation since then.”

The book is easily located, but Roy spends half a minute longer in-between the shelves, close to where ‘his’ table had been the last half year of his PhD. Where he had spent more than a healthy amount of time writing and reading and citing and giving up only to start again.

Now that he’s done with it, and working full-time, he’s seeing Ed going through exactly the same as him. Roy has long ago realised exactly how unhealthy, and scarily similar to Ed’s habits, his own habits had been.

“Hey bastard,” Ed says from behind him. “Didn’t you say we had to leave? C’mon, I’ve got the other books. Let’s go home, I’m fucking _starving_.”

Ed comes up behind him and places a hand on Roy’s hip. “Hey, you okay?”

Roy turns and cups Ed’s face in his hands. “Darling, when I’m with you I’m always okay.”

Ed blushes, but he’s grinning. “Fucking sap. Now let’s go.”

“Yes, my love.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can occasionally find me on tumblr (honestly that platform has suffered): @vampiricalthorns


End file.
